The Hedgehog is a wily opening system characterized by a very particular pawn structure. At first glance, Black’s setup might appear somewhat passive, but looks can be deceiving! In this opening, Black is always waiting for a chance to take the initiative and launch a counterattack, positioning his pieces harmoniously behind a wall of pawns and waiting for just the right moment to break things open and thus release the full potential of his position.

A number of world champions, including Kasparov, Karpov and Carlsen, have all played the Hedgehog. It is suitable for any playing style and can arise from a large number of opening systems.

On this DVD, Yannick Pelletier provides you with a complete Hedgehog repertoire against the English and the Reti. The Swiss grandmaster explains a number of theoretical variations with example games. Of course, the devil is in the detail and you need to practice too - the interactive feedback section with tailored questions from the author is just the ticket. Yannick Pelletier gives you feedback on your moves, offers hints, or, if things have gone wrong, suggests you might like to take another look at the position. Another helpful resource is the specially prepared collection of games that you can use to broaden your knowledge of the system. A large number have been annotated in detail by the author, unveiling the secrets of this rather prickly opening.

Video running time: 5 h 46 min (English)

Interactive training including video feedback

Extra: 218 Model games including analysis by the author for most of them

Including CB 12 Reader

Born in 1976 Yannick Pelletier is a Grandmaster and a chess professional. He’s a regular member of the Swiss national team and a six-time Swiss Champion (1995, 2000, 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2017). He won several open tournaments throughout his career and in 2015 beat Nakamura and a month later the reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen in tournament games. Yannick Pelletier also organises the Biel Chess Festival and is known on the chess circuit as a lively commentator. He’s fluent in five languages (French, German, English, Spanish and Russian).